Robert ELWELL

                   Abbot Parish


BIOGRAPHY: Robert Elwell (b. About 1612) was born in England, came from Stoke Abbot, Devonshire, England. Robert is know to have been a resident of Dorchester, in the Colony of Massachusetts Bay (now a part of the city of Boston) in the year 1634. In the Dorchester Town Records for 1 September 1634, reads: "It is ordered that the lot which was granted formerly to John Rocket shall be transferred to Robert Elwell" (Source: Dorchester Town Records)
BIOGRAPHY: Robert Elwell (b. About 1612) was know to have been a resident of Dorchester in 1634. There are several records of transfer of land to him in Dorchester Town Records. He was a freeman on the 13th of March 1640, appears an owner of land in Gloucester on the 2nd of April 1642 when he bought of Mr. Milward two acres of upland lying in the harbor between the lots of John Collins and Zebulon Hill and running from his swamp northerly over the next swamp. In 1651 Robert had a grant of land "Stage Neck", now called "Rock Neck". Robert's will specifies location of other land he owned. Robert was counted a citizen of Salem until he actually resided at Gloucester. His Children were there baptized until the close of 1641, and his name is on the list of members of the church in 1643. (Source: "Elwell Family in America" by Reverend Jacob Thomas Elwell)
BIOGRAPHY: Robert Elwell (b. About 1612) was listed one of the 82 residents of Gloucester from the time of its first permanent settlement. The map shows Robert Elwell living on Easter Point, on the other side of the harbor from Osmund Dutch and William Vinson. Five Pound Island, which belonged to William Vinson lay between them. (Source: "History of the Town of Gloucester" by John T. Babson)
BIOGRAPHY: Robert Elwell (b. About 1612) Robert Elwell married Alice Leach on 29 May 1676. Robert and wife Joanne had Jacob, born 10 June 1651. Robert Elwell died on 18 May 1683, Joanne died on 31 March 1675. (Source: N.E.H. & G., Volume 4, page 361)
BIOGRAPHY: Robert Elwell (b. About 1612) Robert Elwell lived in Gloucester, Massachusetts In 1635 he appeared as a witness concerning the outrageous conduct of one Thomas Winnerton. Robert was admitted a freeman, 1640, a member of Salem church 1643. Robert was several times a selectman, the first time in 1649. He bought land. In 1642 he owned several lots. His first residence was at Harbor. The term "Goodman" was often given to him. He died 1683 leaving an estate worth two hundred pounds. His first wife, Joanne, died in 1675. In 1676 he married Alice Leach who survived him. His children were Samuel, John, Isaac, Josiah, Joseph, Sara (born and died in 1651), Sarah, Thomas, Jacob, Richard and Mary. (Source: Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine, compiled under the editorial supervision of George Thomas Little A.M.)
BIOGRAPHY: Robert Elwell (b. About 1612) A will of William of Lechland, of Somerset County dated 12 January 1615 says, "Richard Elwell of Collation to be released of debts" we have not yet seen the Elwell's connection traced back to England, this might be a interesting association (Source: N.E.H. & G., Volume 81, page 321)
BIOGRAPHY: Robert Elwell (b. About 1612) The following is his will. "I Robert Elwell of Gloucester in the County of Essex in New England being by GodÕs providence cast upon my Bed of sicknesse & weaknesse & not knowing how neare the time of my departure out of the world may be & withal knowing how it to be the mind & will of God that a man should Set his house in order before he dye to therefore in order to the disposing of my estate & Goods make knowne & declare this my last Will and Testament in manner & fforme following. Imprims I give & bequeath unto my eldest Sonne Samuel Elwell the house I now dwell in together with all the Barnes & buildings neare adjoyneing which are mine and not otherwise disposed off. as also all the Neck of Land whereupon my said House standeth except what is hereafter disposed of to my sonne Thomas and all the rest of my Land & Meadow both here & at the Eastern Poynt and little good Harbour & elsewhere except only what is hereafter bequeathed to my sonnes John and Thomas otherwise except what is hereafter excepted I give all my Sayd Housing & lands above expressed to him my sayd sonne Samuel and his Heires forever provided always & it is my will & meaning that my sayd sonne Samuel shall maintaine myself & his mother my wife during the terme of our Natural lives with convenient & sufficient mayntenance both for clothing & dyet & washing (it always being understood that our bedding & household we doe not dispose but make use of it for our selves whist we live as we see meet) but otherwise he shall provide us & find both his mother and myselfe with the abovesayd necessaryes of food & Rayment during our Natural Lives sufficiently & also wood for firing convenient & all other necessarys & attendance both in sicknesse & health & so to enter upon the improvement of my sayd Living when I shall appoynt him in case I live & in case I now dye to enter upon the sayd Living presently after my decease. Also I do hereby give & bequeath unto my sayd sonne all my carts ploughs & tackling belonging unto them & all my other Tools for carrying on the worke abovesayd. Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne John Elwell three Acres of my meadow at little good Harbour to him and his Heirs forever. Item I give unto my sonne Isaac Elwell my cloake after my decease. Item I give & bequeath unto my sonne Thomas Elwell the Half acre of Land with the orchyard his house standeth upon and one Acre of meadow or Marsh at Starke naught Harbor (so commonly called) and also one yeareling after my decease to injoy the abovesayd to him his Heirs Executs. Adminis. Or Assignes for ever. Item I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Deliber (Dolliver) a Two yeare old Heifer after my decease. Item I give & bequeath unto Samuel Elwell my grandsonne all that my house & Land his Father now liveth in & upon lying & being Situated on the other side of the River or Harbour in Glocester aforesayd fower Acres of said Land being upland adjoining neare sayd House & two Acres being meadow and lying by the Cutt to him & his Heires for ever & in case the sayd Samuel my Grand Sonne doe dye without Heires it shall then fall to my next eldest Grand sonne & so in the like Case of Mortality from one to another of my Grandsonnes. And this my sayd Son Grand Son Samuel to have after my decease and to pay twenty shillings unto his grandmother my wife. Item I give & bequeath unto my Grand Sonne Robert Elwell who now lives with me all my quarter part of my Katch in case he abides with his father and help him. And the sayd Robert shall pay unto his sayd Grandmother my wife the full summ of foure pounds after my decease. Item I give & bequeath all my wearing Apparell to my Sonnes to be equally divided amongst them after my decease. Item I give & bequeath all my household stuffe or Goodes such as Bedding pots pewter Brasse stooles & Chayres or Chests & Boxes unto all my Children to be equally divided amongst them after my decease & the decease of my wife. And thereas it is above expressed that my sonne Samuel shall have my House I now dwell in after my decease my wil
l & meaning is so long only as my wife aforesayd & hee my sayd sonne do agree & sayd mother like wrather to live by her selfe, I do hereby declare it to be my mind & will fully that then my sayd son shall depart the House & leave it to his mother & shee shall injoy it to her owne peculair use & behoof during her terme of Life. Also whereas it is above expressed that my Sonne Samuel shall have this my living abovesayd to him & his Heirs forever my will & meaning is & I do hereby apoynt my Grandsoone Robert (sone of sayd Samuel) that now liveth with me to be the next Immediate Heir unto this my sayd Living after his ffather my sayd son Samuel to injoy the same to him & his Heires for ever and in case he sayd Robert doe die without Heire it shal then fall to the next eldest of my Grandsonnes surviving. Item I give unto my Grand sonne William Elwell (sonne of my sonne Josiah deceased) a calfe of this yeares breeding. Item I give & bequeath unto my deare & loving wife two Milch Cowes for her owne peculiar use & to dispose of as shee shall see meet & doe also order my son Samuel to provide & bring home ffodder for them during the term of her natural Life & in case he does not provide for them as abovesayd it shall be in the power of my Executor to take away one acre of the meadow at the eastern poynt for the purpose above sayd. Item I give & bequeath unto my wife the use & benefit of the Garden by my now dwelling House to have & improve as she shall see meet during the terme of her natural Life. And all the rest of my Cattell not here disposed off both Cowes & oxen & other younger Cattell I give unto my Sonne Samuel Elwell except only what may be for the discharging of my debts & charges of my executors concerning the ordering of my estate in disposing & distributing & other necessary expenses that they may be at one way or another about the same. Also I leave all my household Goodes with my wife for her use during her Naturall Life & after her decease to be distributed as above sayd. And that this my last Will and Testament may be truly performed I doe intreat my deare & well beloved Friend Mr. John Emerson & Jeffrey Parsons Sen. To be the Executors of this my last will & Testament & doe hereby constitute ordayne authorize & impower them in all Respects the sayd Executors to see it fully executed & performed.
And furthermore I doe give two ewe sheep to my wife & the rest of them to my sonne Samuel. Also I doe give my Horse to my wife to have the use of it during her natural Life & my sonne Samuel to provide him winter meat. And my Colt I give unto my sonne Samuel. And in case my sonne Samuel doe not provide Comfortably for his sayd mother my wife according to what is above expressed I doe hereby Authorize & impower my sayd executors to take away & to order & dispose of the sayd Living & Cattell given to my sonne to any whom they shall see meet for my wifeÕs Comfortable subsistence as abovesayd during her Naturall Life. And for the full Confirmation of this my last Will and Testament I have hereunto set my Hand & Seale the fiveteenth day of this Instant May Anno. Dom. One thousand six hundred & eighty three.
BIOGRAPHY: Sealed & Subscribed (Seal)
in the pÕsence of us The marke of
The marke of 0 John Row Sen.
Ruth Emerson Jun. Robert Elwell
BIOGRAPHY: John Row & Ruth Emerson made oath in court at Salem the 26 of June1683: that they were both present & did see the said Robert Elwell signe seale & declare the above written to be his last will &
testament & that he was then to their best understanding of good understanding & that they signed as witnesses to the above written.
Attest HILLIARD VEREN Clerk (Source: Taken from the book "Elwell Genealogy" which contains the matter presented in "The Elwell Family in America" revised and altered with additions of much importance by Charles Henry Pope, 1906)